Why Tea Is Good For You

by Lottie Allen

As someone who generally favours coffee - often, at the expense of sleep - tea offers a happy alternative to the highly caffeinated beverage.

We have an abundance of tea worldwide, there are so many different types that one must suit you. From the most common tea - black tea making up 85% of total tea consumption in the Western world, or the unoxidised green tea with its high level of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, or Oolong tea unique and semi-oxidised, or white tea which arguably, offers the healthiest option with the highest level of antioxidants and lower caffeine content and finally, to Pu-erh tea which originates in the Yunnan province of China.

Shennong, the legendary "inventor" of tea

Tea originates from China in its earliest references around 2700 B.C. concerning the mythical emperor Shennong - the father of Chinese medicine and agriculture. According to this legend, Shennong tasted hundreds of wild herbs in order to find edible grains, one of which was tea leaves. It was first cultivated in China only 6000 years ago and was eaten as a vegetable until 1500 years ago when it was discovered that it could be drunk with compact, pressed ‘cakes’ of tea mixed with boiling water. A distinct Chinese tea culture emerged enjoyed by the elite classes of society.

In the 9th Century, a Japanese monk transported a tea plant into Japan and by the 14th Century, tea had been developed in China from the pressed tea into loose leaf tea. It was now one of three prevalent exports of China, including silk and porcelain. It was only introduced to Europe in the 1600s by Dutch traders and became an increasingly popular import with many different types of tea; the most expensive of which, Da-Hong Pao tea, sells for £900,000 per kilo!

After the popularisation of tea in the UK - largely thanks to the Portugeuse wife of Charles II, Catherine of Braganza - the association between tea and respectability in England has become ingrained in our culture. This can be seen in that we now consume 78% of the tea consumed world-wide which equates to more than 60 billion cups of tea annually.

Interestingly, this could be as a result of the properties of tea - studies have shown that some teas can encourage weight loss, lower cholesterol and increased mental alertness. As the American Dietetic Association spokeswoman, Katherine Tallmadge says: “There doesn’t seem to be a downside to tea [...] It’s a great alternative to coffee drinking. First, tea has less caffeine [and] it’s pretty well established that the compounds in tea - their flavonoids - are good for the heart and may reduce cancer”.

Unfortunately, many tea bags tend to contain unnecessary plastic so be aware and perhaps, investigate eco-friendly alternatives such as Twinings’ Loose Leaf tea bags which are fully biodegradable or Pukka Herbs’ tea bags which are completely plastic-free and fully compostable.  Have a cup of tea!